Dear Fellow Blue Stars,

Greetings to all! I’m getting this Newsletter out a little earlier than the usual late May edition in hope that many of you who are "on the fence" about attending our annual reunion will get motivated and begin planning to attend. The late May edition was sent out with the hope that you wouldn’t receive it and file it away for future consideration and be "out of sight, out of mind".

Denver 2001 is on the horizon and rapidly approaching. It’s time to stop putting off attending your first reunion or see-sawing on attending this one. Unfortunately, this past year has once again shown that we are all mortal. Several Blue Star members have left us. Make a commitment, attend a reunion. Share a beer or two with some old friends. Hang on, here we go. Here’s all the news we’ve been waiting for:

We’re goin’ to the mile high city this year! Our TOC will be the Adams Mark Hotel located in downtown Denver. From what I’ve been reading & hearing, the folks in Denver have some great times planned. A highlight is definitely going to be the Golden outing that is planned for July 5^th. Golden can only mean one thing – COORS! It’s nice that they’re planning a BBQ there but you’ll also be able to drink as much Coors as you can handle. Thank God they’re busing us in! Those who attended the Nashville reunion can remember the same deal at the Jack Daniels Distillery. BTW, what better way can there be to celebrate the 36^th birthday of 48^th!

All kidding aside, the Denver reunion will begin on Monday, July 2^nd with early bird registration. Tuesday, July 3^rd will be the first full day with events planned. The reunion will culminate with the banquet on Saturday, July 6^th. All of the upcoming reunion activities can be viewed on the internet by logging onto the VHPA web site at www.vhpa.org and clicking on the reunion link. You’ll also be able to view the Morning Report that will show the current registrants. In order to attend any of the VHPA sponsored events, you must register and obtain tickets to the event you wish to participate in. Registration after April 30^th is $45.00. The cost of the various events can also be viewed on the web site. VHPA members can also register electronically on the web site. For non-members, the procedure will be the same as last year. You must be sponsored by a VHPA member in order to register and purchase a ticket to an event. PLEASE REMEMBER… you don’t have to be registered, pay the registration fee or buy any other ticket to attend our mini reunion. IT’S FREE to all Blue Stars & guests!!!!!!!!!

Other than it being a hassle, it’s not a problem to get a sponsor. We have enough members on-line on our reflector list in all parts of the country that we can match you up with someone easily but you have to let us know ASAP so a sponsor can get you set up. If you are in need of a sponsor, you can post a message on our web page in the guestbook and someone will get back to you. Our web site is www.raydon.com/48ahc/. Now, onto the important part - the mini reunion…….

This year our mini reunion has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 4^th beginning at 1 PM. In past years, it’s been scheduled the afternoon of the banquet. It created some problems with everyone rushing to get ready and put an early end to the festivities. This should avoid that problem this year, we’ll see how it works. I understand that we can have the room for as long as we like since no one is scheduled to use the room after us on the 4^th. I’ve requested the largest room they have to accommodate the large number of Blue Stars who I hope will attend this year (don’t disappoint me). The room will be complete with a TV/VCR, podium with sound system. We’ll have slide projectors & screens so bring your memorabilia and share it with others. We had a terrific turnout for last year’s mini. I hope we can top that one with attendance this year.

I have attempted to secure a hospitality room for our use this year. However, the management at the Adams Mark hasn’t been too cooperative. I was able to reserve a room but management informed me that they would not remove any of the furniture as we were able to last year in DC. This negated the advantage of having a hospitality suite. They have suggested that we rent one of their meeting rooms for this purpose but the cost is prohibitive. So…. as it stands now, we won’t have a hospitality suite operational. That shouldn’t be a problem though, you’ll always be able to find a Blue Star gathering at the hotel bar!!!

I am again planning to make up individual Blue Star name tags. For those who have one from last year, please bring it. If you don’t have one and would like one (so we know who you are), please let me know your name, dates with the 48^th (or other association with the 48^th or a member) and your call sign.

Once again, we are able to reserve a group of tables at the banquet. I have requested 6 tables (10 seats at each table). Currently, 29 of the 60 seats are spoken for. If you have any special requests such as sitting with someone in particular or with a group from a certain time frame, please let me know. I hope we have to ask for more tables to be allocated to our group, so get your requests into me now. The VHPA requests that you purchase a seat before I can submit your name. They have also requested that I submit all the names to them by June 10^th. BUT… I need everyone who is even thinking about

Will Stafford just continues to do an incredible job in updating and maintaining our web site. If you haven’t visited for a while, drop in and see what’s new. We are always looking for new photos to post (either from Vietnam or current photos), been there-done that stories or any other contributions you may wish to send in for posting. You can send items to Will at whstaff@bellsouth.net

Most of you know that we have an email reflector list set up that facilitates communication between members of the 48^th AHC and their supporting units. What you probably don’t know is that recently, Logan Weiler has set up another reflector list that will allow participation of non-Vietnam era Blue Star vets. Blue Star continues to exist today as A/3/158^th stationed at Giebelstadt AAF, Germany. This link allows us to communicate with members of Blue Star who served after the Vietnam era in such places as Cypress, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia and currently in Kosovo. A/3/158^th – the Blue Stars- is one of Army Aviations premier aviation units and was selected as the first aviation unit in the European theater to receive the UH-60 Blackhawk. The proud tradition that began in Ft. Benning on July 5^th, 1965 and through Vietnam continues on today. You can view the current Blue Star site (A/3/158) at www.3-158avn.12avnbde.army.mil and click on Co. A. You can join either one of the reflector lists or both by logging onto:

For the 48^th AHC: www.egroups.com/group/BlueStars

For the Blue Stars (post Vietnam era): www.egroups.com/group/BlueStar-Avn

Click on the Join link and fill out your profile. Be sure to include a little about yourself, especially tour dates with the 48^th, so we can verify who you are. If you don’t mind getting a lot of emails, you can select Individual emails. If you’d like to view all of the emails sent daily as one email message, select Daily Digest. We currently have 135 members on our Vietnam era reflector list and 42 members on our new post Vietnam era reflector list. Join in the banter and say hello to some old friends and make some new ones.

Ok all you Denver locals, we’re looking for some help again this year. You know that we like everyone to know the 48^th is in town. Not that we’re loud, but we’re sure proud. We’d like to do the balloon thing again this year, hopefully at the banquet. We are in

need of a helium tank with a balloon fill adaptor. We’re talking the BIG helium tank, enough to fill around 350 9" balloons. As in the past, you’ll be reimbursed for the tank rental, etc. We just need someone to take charge, arrange the rental, pick it up and return it. We have several locals out there and I know who you are and you can’t hide so contact me if you can help with this.

I’d like to announce that my wife and I recently returned from the Ukraine after successfully completing the adoption of a little boy. Many of you knew that we have been working on this for sometime. We spent the entire month of February in the Ukraine and returned home in early March ….. and you guys back East thought you have cold weather! Anyway, Matthew William has joined our family and is a healthy little 3 year old. He’s already a seasoned traveler (after enduring a 17 hour return flight) and he’ll be traveling to Denver with us. BTW, do I have a Vodka story to tell!!!! It hurt me!

I know, I know, I say the same thing every year – come to a reunion because we’re not getting any younger. Even though that’s all too true, I think that the past reunion’s have proven that even at our advanced ages, we can all still have fun (even though the hangovers are tougher to deal with). The reunions have something for everyone whether it be meeting old classmates, stickmates or those you served with in Vietnam or other wonderful places our uncle sent us. I’d like to appeal to all to make an effort to attend our reunion. The VHPA reunion is great but the only reason I really go year after year is to muster again with the Blue Stars and Jokers. The stories of our great deeds get better every year! It’s going to be hard to top last years gathering in DC where we had almost 100 pilots & crewmembers together (and there weren’t any fights!). I’m sure we can top it though and we can do it this year. Enough of the pleading stuff …. See you all in Denver.

Any questions and comments can be directed to me at any of the numbers below. Direct any complaints to Bobby Schulze J

Home # (626) 358-2680 email: Home: joker90@gte.net

Work # (800) 869-0235 Work: CCORTEZ@scseng.com

Carl Cortez

Joker 90

Monrovia, CA

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